Our Nurse-Midwives

Amy Ginn earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois. She obtained her midwifery education from Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing, with a master's from Case Western Reserve University. She worked on labor and delivery units and in the newborn nursery as an RN before becoming a midwife. Amy has been working with mothers, babies and their families since 1982. It continues to be an occupation that teaches and amazes her each day.

Amy is a native of Illinois and moved to Colorado in 1986. She has two grown sons who reside in Durango. She and her husband enjoy camping, hiking and cross-country skiing. Amy also loves gardening, beekeeping and reading, depending on the season.

Janna Stefanek joined Southwest Midwives in mid-August 2014. She has worked more than two years as a certified nurse-midwife on the Navajo Reservation. While living in Chinle, Arizona, she and her husband, Steve, made many trips to Durango and fell in love with this area.

Prior to living on Navajo land, Janna lived in Tucson where she graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in nursing in 2004. While working as a labor and delivery registered nurse in both the hospital and out-of-hospital birth settings, she completed her master's in nursing at Frontier Nursing University in 2011. She also has a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of San Francisco and a master's in public health from Columbia University. Between her studies, she was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean on the island of Dominica.

Janna has a passion for women's reproductive rights, pregnancy and birth. Motherhood, she says, is one of the most challenging, rewarding and honorable professions, and she strives to support women in this role. Janna lives in Durango with her young daughter, son and husband.

Rebecca Dworkin was raised in Bethesda, Maryland. She earned her bachelor's degree from Grinnell College in Iowa, majoring in religious studies. After college, she was an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Community Health Centers in Providence, Rhode Island, working in an OB/GYN clinic. She was trained as a childbirth educator and doula, and attended her first births. She spent an additional two years working a variety of jobs and traveling before returning to school to pursue her bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's degree at Georgetown University.

As a midwifery student, Rebecca gained experience with births in hospitals, birth centers and home settings. She began her midwifery career in 2012, joining the staff at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. She served on the faculty as a clinical assistant professor and participated in medical student education. During her four years in Iowa, she worked with a diverse population and helped with the collaborative care of high-risk patients. She facilitated Centering Pregnancy group prenatal care and supported low-intervention birth in the hospital.

Rebecca is passionate about women's reproductive health, and she feels privileged to witness women's strength as they build their families. She has always been interested in the cultural, political and historical significance of women's health, and she is fascinated how even small acts toward physical well-being and education can lead to empowerment. She is regularly amazed, humbled and grateful doing this work.

Rebecca is thrilled to continue her professional and personal journey in Durango with Southwest Midwives. She loves the beautiful landscapes in the Four Corners region, and enjoys hiking, photography and exploring in the outdoors. Rebecca also loves traveling and has taken many road trips and international adventures. She has two adopted canines, Crosby and Phoebe.

Two Nurse-Midwives for Vacation/Leave Coverage

Heidi Zink has deep family roots in the Durango area and cherishes the opportunity to practice here. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology, with
minors in wellness and psychology, from the University of Denver. She then earned a bachelor's in nursing from Regis University and went on to work in labor and delivery as a registered nurse for more than four years at Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver.

In 2004 Heidi earned a master's degree in nurse midwifery from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. During this time she also was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau nursing honor society. After graduation she began work with Southwest Midwives. She is happily married to Craig.

Shauna Acker works with Southwest Midwives to cover the vacation/leave times of the other midwives.

She has a bachelor's degree in nursing from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, and a master's in nursing from the University of Kansas. She became a certified nurse midwife in 2007 and has earned a doctorate in nursing and an education certificate from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Shauna is honored to provide holistic care and be part of a client's journey through womanhood. She believes birth is a sacred experience, and she wants to provide the experience that meets the wishes and needs of the woman and her family. She is open and comfortable with both natural and medical models of care. Her background includes a critical care knowledge base, first assist during c-sections, low- and high-risk obstetrics, water births, complementary and alternative medicine, father-assisted birth and gynecology.

Shauna moved to the Western Slope in 2009 from Kansas City, Missouri. Her family includes husband Chuck, son Jordan and a blue heeler hound mix, Zoie. Shauna enjoys reading, outdoor activities and traveling to new places.

Founding Partner, Retired — Certified Nurse-Midwife Emeritus

Mary Louise Walton retired from Southwest Midwives on June 1, 2014. However, she then provided one day of coverage each month in June and July, ending her career on July 22, 2014. A native of western Colorado, she has lived in Durango since 1976. She graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a bachelor's degree in English. Later she earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from Colorado Mesa University, then went on to earn her master's degree in nursing from Case Western Reserve University. Mary Louise obtained her nurse-midwifery education from Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing. She worked with mothers and babies for more than 37 years, first as a labor and delivery nurse, and then as a midwife.

Mary Louise and husband Guy Walton have two grown children — a son and a daughter. She loves to knit, hike, read and garden.